Bangladesh remained stable in 2012 even as many important initiatives were implemented to combat corruption, improve women’s rights, and pursue genuine justice for those affected by war crimes stemming from the 1971 war of independence. The International Crimes Tribunal continued its trials during 2012 of seven of the accused, but the proceedings were marred by procedural delays, intimidation of defense counsels, and, late in the year, the abduction of a key defense witness outside the courthouse. Bangladesh continued to press Pakistan to apologize for the crimes perpetrated by its army in 1971, causing bilateral relations to further deteriorate during 2012, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed again refusing to visit Pakistan.

An ethnic Rohingya Muslim man breaks down after the boat carrying him and others fleeing sectarian …

Anurup Titu/AP

The trial of hundreds of border guards who had been involved in the 2009 mutiny that killed 74 fellow soldiers and officers proceeded slowly during the year and was said to lack fair trial standards. In October more than 700 of the men were convicted of relatively minor offenses, but still more faced trial, accused of serious crimes such as murder. An estimated 47 of those awaiting trial had died in custody since 2009.

Despite strong criminal laws to protect the rights of women in Bangladesh, widespread abuses continued there in 2012, including reports of domestic violence, marital rape, acid attacks, and other crimes. Marital laws, however, were criticized for discriminating against women and depriving them of rights to equal ownership of property.

Government manipulation of the Grameen Bank microfinance institute, which started in 2011 with the removal of its founder Muhammad Yunus, went farther in 2012. The government amended banking laws in order to appoint a new bank governor—in effect bypassing the bank’s board of directors and exerting more central control over the bank.

Bangladesh maintained its strong bilateral relations with China in 2012, attracting more investment from Chinese firms. This was especially true in the garment sector, where exports to China increased to nearly $200 million for the year. Bilateral trade overall was considerably higher than it was in 2010. The growth occurred despite rising concerns over low wages in the manufacturing sector and government intimidation of trade-union activists, including the unsolved murder of a prominent labour activist in April 2012. Relations with neighbouring Myanmar (Burma) deteriorated further in 2012, however, as sectarian violence there drove more ethnic Rohingya Muslims into Bangladesh (more than 200,000 Rohingya refugees and migrants were already in Bangladesh). The Bangladeshi government objected to the claim by Myanmar officials that the Rohingya were illegal Bengali migrants, while Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was criticized for being largely silent on the subject.

Bangladesh maintained steady economic growth in 2012, with an annual GDP increase of 6.6%. Inflation remained stable at about 6%, and poverty-reduction programs continued to lift millions out of destitution. The most optimistic economic forecasts projected that Bangladesh could become a middle-income economy in 10 years if economic growth rates were sustained, but others, including from the World Bank, deemed that possible only with a higher annual GDP. On December 10 former president Iajuddin Ahmed died in Bangkok from complications following heart surgery.

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